Robert Michel
Until Robert L. Michel came along and founded The Dark Intelligence Group (DIG) two decades ago, the clinical laboratory industry and the anatomic pathology profession lacked a trustworthy source for information about the management and operations of medical laboratories. From its inception in 1995, The Dark Report quickly became the “go to†source of industry intelligence, innovations in lab management, and strategic market analysis.
This excellence in reporting has earned recognition from his peers. For example, twice Michel and The Dark Report have won national awards for best investigative reporting by the Specialty Information Publishers Association. In 2005, the award was for Michel’s coverage about how the anatomic pathology condominium laboratories (pod labs) operated by urologists and gastroenterologists came to be, who operated them, and how these owners marketed the AP condo labs to other physician groups. In 2009, Michel’s award for best investigative reporting resulted from his published interviews with Quest Diagnostics Incorporated when the company admitted that, for a period of 18 months, it had been reported inaccurate Vitamin 25(OH) D results because of problems with its laboratory-developed test methodology. The Dark Report’s story was picked up by The New York Times and was in the national news cycle for several days.
In his role as Editor-in-Chief, Michel brought unique capabilities to DIG and The Dark Report. His management training and diverse business experience—along with his skills as a concise writer and analyst—proved to be a winning combination for readers of The Dark Report. For that reason, Michel’s story has many intriguing elements.
Immediately prior to founding DIG, he had served in several executive positions for Nichols Institute based in Portland, Oregon, and San Juan Capistrano, California. This was during the time that Nichols Institute was an independent public lab company with annual revenues of about $280 million (prior to its acquisition by MetPath, Inc., now Quest Diagnostics Incorporated). He traveled extensively to many of the clinical lab business units owned by Nichols Institute in different regions of the United States and played a role in formulating effective market strategies in response to the emergence of closed-panel HMOs, capitated pricing, and full-risk managed care contracts, among other successful management initiatives.
Prior to his service at Nichols Institute, Michel served at three different Fortune 100 companies. These were Procter & Gamble, Centex Corporation, and Financial Corp. of America. Each was an opportunity to master new management techniques and apply them in different industries. Between these positions, he gained experience as an entrepreneur, having founded a real estate development firm and a general contracting company in the Southeastern United States.
Robert Michel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he played rugby, a sport he participated in for another 22 years. He is a native of California and grew up in Santa Ana.
Articles by Robert Michel
“February 5, 2001 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
This time the Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA) looked in its own backyard to find a Executive Director. On Monday, February 12, Robert Neri will begin his responsibilities at CLMA. Not only does Neri have a long career in laboratory management, but he lives in the Ph…
Two Labs Complete IPOs, AML May be Next in Line
CEO SUMMARY: During the year 2000, investors liked the performance of clinical labs. When stock market woes surfaced this fall, it was not enough to dampen investor interest in Dynacare and Specialty Laboratories. Both companies funded their initial public stock offering in a difficult ma…
Dynacare’s Business Plan Includes New Direction
CEO SUMMARY: Look for Dynacare, Inc. to undergo a significant transformation. Although it will not abandon its efforts to partner with hospital laboratories, Dynacare has made a renewed commitment to expand and market itself as a provider of esoteric and reference testing. These changes a…
Number of Hospital Deals Declines Again in 2000
CEO SUMMARY: Probably the single biggest contributing factor to consolidation of hospital laboratories is when new owners or new healthcare systems take control of a hospital. For 2000, merger and acquisition activity in the hospital industry declined in 2000 by 40%. A total of 318 hospit…
Consumers Taking Active Role In Their Laboratory Testing
CEO SUMMARY: Two recent Internet surveys revealed that consumers rank access to their personal lab test results as the number one most wanted feature in healthcare services. This is an early warning for laboratories and pathology group practices. Today’s consumers have changing expectat…
HIPAA Hits Radar Screen, Expected to be Expensive
CEO SUMMARY: HIPAA is beginning to generate controversy as implementation dates are announced. The American Hospital Association is painting a black picture, despite protestations of certain experts. Meanwhile, managed care companies are finding it difficult to come together and form a un…
DNA Diagnostics Market, Kaiser Permanente, TriPath Imaging, LifeScan
DNA DIAGNOSTICS MARKET GROWTH TO BE DOMINATED BY PCR TECHNOLOGY FOR THE YEAR 2000, total DNA diagnostic technology sales were estimated to be $517 million. By 2005, this number should increase to $771 million, a growth rate of 8.4% per year. This is the conclusion of Laura Roth, author of â…
“January 15, 2001 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”
In Cincinnati, the CHIN (community healthcare information network) effort of the mid-1990s has evolved into HealthBridge, a “secure, private Intranet that provides physician access to hospital clinical records, insurance eligibility, e-mail, and on-line medical reference material.â…
DARK REPORT Presents “White Paper†Summary Of Laboratory Industry
INTRODUCTION: To celebrate five eventful years of service to the laboratory industry and pathology profession, THE DARK REPORT is pleased to present its first “White Paper†on the laboratory industry. Our goal is help laboratories and their suppliers accurately identify relevant market dynami…
Business Premises Underlying Lab Industry Dynamics
This chapter addresses the characteristics of the laboratory industry which define the starting point for changes and ongoing evolution. The eight business premises listed in this White Paper describe unique situations which directly influence the ability of clinical laboratories to serve the medical…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 13 – September 15, 2025
The Dark Report examines a new bill that would reform PAMA and avoid reimbursement rate cuts scheduled for January 2026. Clinical laboratory leaders are urged to make their voices heard in Congress. Also, an expert describes how labs can fix pre-analytical errors and avoid disaster.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
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